Card display case



Feb. 21, 1939. w Q. LARsoN GARD DISPLAY CASE Filed` May 27, 195'? nwfm UNITED STATES PATENT oI-"Flci-:i

CARD'DISPLAY CASE Wallace Q. Larson, ltiinneapolis,4 Minn., assignor to M Augsburg Publishing House,

Minneapolis,

Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Application May 27, 1937, Serial No. 144,996

Claims. (Cl. 40-102) This invention yrelates tojal display device and container and while the invention may have various uses and applications, it is designed particularly for a container and display device for cards,

longer the samples are exhibited, the greater the objection becomes.

It is an object of this invention to provide a l5 very simple, compact, and convenient container and display device for cards and similar articles by means of which the cards or other articles may be displayed, and yet kept in clean perfect and attractive condition.

vide a device comprising a closed case in which the articles are carried, said case containing swingable units in which the articles are disposed,

and said case being movable to position to act as a support for said units.

It is another object of the invention to provide a case having a rigid bottom member made of sheet material, walls upstanding at the sides thereof and carrying rods on which swinging units are mounted, said walls being in the form of channels, the inner sides of which receive. said rods.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a case comprising a stiff bottom member and side walls together with a member secured to said bottom member at one end and extending around land over said side walls to form a closed container, said container having mounted therein a plurality of swinging display units. l

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanyingkdrawing in which like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which:`

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the device in open position with the cover or closure member forming a support fory the display units;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the device in closed condition;

Fig. 3 is a central vertical longitudinal section through the device; i .A Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on line 4--4 of 55 Fig. 2 as indicated by the arrows;

It is a further object of the invention to pro- Fig. 5 is a central longitudinal section of one of the display units; and

Fig. 6 is a partial plan view of one of the display units certain parts being broken away and others shown in horizontal section.

Referring to the drawing, a display device is shown comprising a bottom member Ill. 'Ihis member is made of4 stiff sheet material and while various materials may be used in practice, it has been found suitable to make the same of aluminum. Member I0 is of rectangular form and may be provided with one or more transversely extending beads Ilia for the purpose of stiffening it.

.If sufliciently heavy material is used thebeads need not be provided. Member I0 has projecting from its undersurface adjacent one end a pair of spaced resilient plugs I2 secured thereto in any suitable manner and generally of tapered form. Similar spaced plugs I3 are shown adjacent the other end of member I0 and these are secured by bolts I4 extending through member IIl. Bolts I4 also extend through one end of a. cover or closure member I5, and through a holding strip I8 overlying said portion of member I5, said bolts being equipped with nuts I1 which engage strips I6. The secured portion of member I5 extends slightly beyond the edge of member I0 and is then bent upwardly substantially at a right angle to form an end closing portion I5a. Member I5 is constructed and arranged-to hinge about the end of the secured portion and along a line parallel to the edge lof member IU. Blot-V tom member I0 has secured thereto and extending upwardly therefrom at each longitudinal edge a side wall I0b. While side walls may be variously formed, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated they are shown as integral with bottom member I0 and said side walls are bent inwardly toward each other substantially at right angles at their upper ends and after extending inwardly a short distance are again bent downwardly substantially at right angles to have the inner portions I0c which terminate a short distance above member I0. The side walls are thus in the form of channels and they are made somewhat resilient so that they can be sprung away from each other but will return to normal vertical position. Member I5 has its portion I5a extending to substantially the height of the side walls and said portion is then again bent substantially at a right angle to form a top portion I 5b which extends over and between the side Walls Ilib to a line approximately above the other end of member I0 when it is again bent downwardly substantially at a right angle to form another end closing portion llc. The free end of portion llc extends around the end of member I and overlaps the undersurface thereof as shown in Fiss. 2 and 3. This overlapping portion lid is provided with a plurality of socket fasteners I3 shown as two in number which cooperate with bail fasteners secured to member III so that portion Ild is held securely in position. When so held and closed, a container is formed. The portion I5b is arranged to fold along a line IBe substantially midway of its length. A strap I9 is secured to the inner side of portion Ila and is provided with a ball fastener adapted to cooperate with one of the fasteners I3 in a certain position of the device.

The inner sides Ilc oi' the side walls are provided with a plurality of holes arranged along an inclined line adjacent one end thereof, said holes being horizontally alined in pairs in the respective side walls and each of said pairs is adapted to receivesl rod 2i, the location and arrangement of said rods and holes being shown in Fig. 2. Each rod 2| passes through a tubular member 22 which may be formed of some fairly strong and flexible sheet material as Celluloid. Said tube is formed, as shown in Fig. 5, with its ends overlapping and secured together. One of said ends is provided with a plurality of slots 22a which form a series of tongues 22h therebetween. These tongues pass through spaced slots 23a formed in the ends of a sheet 23 of very transparent thin material which sheet 23 is folded midway of its length to form the bight 23h. A sheet 2l of cardboard or similar material and of greater thickness than sheet 23 is disposed within sheet 23 and between the sides thereof, and is also provided with slots 23a adjacent its end through which passes the tongues 22h. Members 25 of sheet material are inserted at either side of member 2l and between the same and sheet 23, and these members 25 may carry one or more cards or pictures 26. It will be obvious that the members 22, 23 and 24 in their assembly form a container with transparent sides in which sheets 25 are disposed.

'I'he sheets 23 are of such lengths that their free ends are arranged in stepped relation as shown in Fig. 3. 'Ihe lowermost sheet extending closest to portion lic. The sheets or units can thus be conveniently lifted and they may if desired, be indexed.

In operation it will be seen that fasteners I8 can be released and member I5 swung from over the top of the side walls IIIb. The units comprising sheet 23 and material therein can then be separately lifted and swung about the rods 2|. The portion I 5b can be folded, as shown in Fig. 1, with its underside uppermost and folded about the line I5e into inverted V-shape. Said member can be held in position by engaging fastener 2i) on strip I9 to one of the fasteners I3, as shown in Fig. 1. The device can then be placed on a supporting surface resting on members I2 and I3 and the display units then swung upwardly and allowed to rest or lie against the side of the folded portion I 5b as shown in Fig. 1. Strip I9 holds portion I5b in position. The rods 2I are made of resilient material such as spring steel, and may thus be flexed for insertion or removal in the walls Ilb so that the display units may be removed and inserted as desired. It will be noted that the outer sides of the side walls or channels will prevent undue endwise movement of rods 2|.

From the above description it is seen that applicant has provided a very simple and yet very eiiicient display' case. The device is of very aumva convenient size to be carried and manipulated and the same will carry quite a large number of articles. It will be understood that the sheets 2B with the cards or other articles thereon can be placed at each side of the sheets 2l. The sheets 23 at the underside of sheet 24 as shown in Fig. 5, will, of course, be reversed in position to those on the upper side of sheet 2|. The sheets 2l are nicely held frictionally in position. Owing to the members I2 and I3 which will be made of rubber or similar material, the device can be placed on a finished surface without danger of marring the same. When in the condition shown in Fig. 2 the device is tightly closed against the entrance of dirt and dust. The pictures or other articles 26 can be perfectly seen and yet. they are shielded from dirt and from being crumpled or worn, by the transparent member 23. In fact, having the articles under the transparent material adds to their attractiveness. The samples can thus be used indenitely without wear or objectionable soiling. The member I5 may be made of a good grade of leather or similar composition material so as to present a very pleasing appearance. The device is inexpensive in construction and as above described, quite flexible in use. The same has been amply demonstrated in actual practice and found to be very successful and efilcient.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts, without departing from the scope of applicants invention, which generally stated, consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects above set forth in the parts and combinations of parts ydisclosed and defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A display case for cards and the like having in combination, a casing having a bottom with stiff side walls of narrow width upstanding therefrom, a member secured at one end of said bottom and hinged along the edge of said end, said member upstanding substantially at right angles to said bottom substantially the height of said side walls and having a portion extending over and parallel to said bottom engaging the tops of Said side walls, said member being bent at right angles above the other end of said bottom to extend to and around said end and having a portion overlapping the undersurface 'of said bottom and fastening means securing said overlapping portion to said bottom. and a plurality of swingable display units pivoted between said side walls above said bottom.

2. A display case for cards and the like having in\combination, a casing having a bottom with stiff side walls of narrow width upstanding there-5 from, a member extending over the tops of said side walls having substantially the length of said bottom and hinged adjacent one end of said bottom, said member being foldable substantially midway of its length so as to have its underside upstanding in inverted V-shape, means for holding said member in said position, and a plurality of display units pivoted between said walls and swingable upwardly to lie against one side of said V-shaped member.

3. A display case for cards and the like having in combination, a casing having a bottom with stiff side walls of narrowy width upstanding therefrom and having fastening means on its lower side adjacent one end thereof, a plurality of rods extending in parallel relation between said side walls and spaced longitudinally of said casing, a display unit swingably mounted at one end on each of said rods, a member secured at one end to the other end of said Vbottom member and constructed and arranged to extend over the tops of and between said side walls and between the end portions of said side walls and having fastening means thereon engageable with said fastening means on said bottom member.

4. A display case for cards and the like having in combination, a bottom member of rectangular form and made of stii sheet material having fastening means on its lower side adjacent one end thereof, a second member of general rectangular form hingedly secured at one end to the other end of said bottom member, arranged to be disposed over said bottom member in parallel relation thereto to form a casing and having fastening means at its free end engageable with said fastening means on said bottom member to hold it in said position, said second member being foldable substantially midway of its length so as to have its underside arranged in upstanding position in inverted V-shape at one end of said bottom member and means secured adjacent said rst mentioned end of said bottom member and having fastening means engageable with said second mentioned fastening means to hold said second member in said upstanding folded position.

5. A display case for cards and the like having in combination, a bottom member of stii sheet material substantially rectangular in plan and having substantially vertical side portions of comparatively small height extending along the sides thereof, a second member of stii sheet material similar in shape to said rst mentioned member arranged to be disposed over said first mentioned member and to engage said portions, said second member being hingedly connected at one end to one end of said rst mentioned member and adapted to swing away from the same, said second member having portions extending at right angles at each end and toward said first mentioned member to form with said side portions a substantially closed casing, said side portions being reversely bent at their upper ends so as to comprise spaced vertical portions of sheet material, small rods extending between said side portions and extending loosely through the inner of said vertical portions but being held from endwise movement by the outer of said vertical portions and a plurality of sheets swingable about said rods disposed between said members.

WALLACE Q. LARSON. 

